Introductory Lesson

True – All birds have feathers. Some birds have highly modified feathers to fit particular functions, such as the fancy feathers on a peacock’s tail.

False – While birds are known for their ability to fly, there are many that do not fly such as penguins (who swim), ostriches, emus, and kiwis.

True – All birds have two wings!

True – Birds can replace old and damaged feathers through molting. Molting generally occurs after nesting or before migration when the bird has enough resources and energy.

False – If this were the case, birds would be too heavy to fly! Instead, birds have adapted to have very light but strong bones.

False – Birds generally have very good sight. Many birds can see color; some can even see light ranging in the ultraviolet spectrum that humans cannot see!

False – The heartbeat of birds are faster than that of humans.

True – All birds species do lay eggs. Male birds do not.

False – There is a large variety of diets among birds. Birds eat anything from seeds, nectar, insects, worms, fish, crustaceans, frogs, to small animals.

False – While not all birds sing the beautiful songs we commonly think of, most are capable of making a variety of sounds, whether they be calls, chip notes, or pecking against a tree. Males do more singing in many song birds.

Challenging Statements

False – All birds do not migrate; for example, the Northern Cardinal is one species which remains in one area all year round. Many birds, especially those that eat insects, must migrate to find food.

True – Birds are vertebrate animals that have a backbone and internal skeleton–just like you!

True – All birds are warm-blooded, or endothermic. This means that birds are able to regulate their body temperature through various internal means.

False – Not all baby birds are covered in downy feathers when they hatch. For example, many song birds, such as the Blue Jay, are born virtually naked.

True – There are many species where the males and females look different from each other. Examples of these species are the Northern Cardinal, where the male is bright red and the female is a reddish brown, the American Goldfinch, and the Red-winged Blackbird.

Western Version

Parents and Guardians – Your child has learned about wild birds in school, and this sheet is designed to offer more information and activities for your family to enjoy wild birds.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Bird Sound Matching

Go out in the morning and listen to the dawn chorus or bird songs. Open your ears and maybe even close your eyes to pinpoint animal sounds. Write down what you hear. If you’re up for a challenge, try to identify birds based on some of the sounds learned in class.

Match these birds to what they say below:

BIRD SPECIES SOUNDS LIKE

Chestnut-backed Chickadee “hoo-oo, hoo-hoo-hoo”

American Crow “tseek-a-dee-dee”

Mourning Dove “cheer-up, cheer-up”

American Robin “caw, caw, caw”

Oak Titmouse “tjiboo, tjiboo, ….”

Western Scrub Jay “o-ka-lee, o-ka-lee”

Lesser Goldfinch “shreep, shreep,”

Red-winged Blackbird “tee-yee, tee-yee”

Listen to their calls at www.allaboutbirds.org. Some birds may have more than one sound.